Hacksaw with magazine handle for continuous blade



' Oct. 23, 1956 l ,1. E.' sJBLoM vHAcKsAw WITH MAGAZINE HANDLE: FORCONTINUOUS BLADE Filed Aug. 2, 1955 ze "gg L Unite States Patent HACKSAWWITH MAGAZINE HANDLE FOR CONTINUOUS BLADE John Emanuel Sjblom,Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, assignor go Gunnar Johan Emanuel Ekberg,Ornskoldsvik,

weden Application August 2, 1955, Serial No. 525,947

8 Claims. (Cl. 145-33) This invention generally relates to hacksaws and,more particularly, to certain new and useful improvements in hacksaws ofthe type comprising ya substantially invertedly U-shaped frame memberbetween the legs of which an elongated llexible cutting member in theform of a hacksaw blade -is stretchable.

One specifi-c object of the present invention is to provide a novelhacksaw having means enabling at least one continuous cutting member orhacksaw blade of a length corresponding to the total length of acomparatively large number of conventional hacksaw blades to be housedin storage means provided therefor in association with the frame andhandle assembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel hacksaw of thegeneral type specified in the preceding paragraph and having novelgripping and stretching facilities for the continuous cutting mem-ber orsawblade enabling quick Vand easy handling of the latter.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel hacksaw havingmeans which ensure, if the cutting member or sawblade bursts at or nearthe end thereof remote from the storage means therefor, that a completecutting length will not be wasted, but only a minor portion thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hacksaw as specifiedaccordingto the preceding objects and having a continuous hacksaw bladewhich may be considerably narrower than a conventional hacksaw blade soas to .afford improved cutting characteristics .as compared to theconventional hacksaw blade.

`For the objects stated, according to the present invention, the novelhacksaw comprises in combination: an invertedly U-shaped frame member,tool-gripping means provided on the extremities of the legs of saidframe member, an elongated flexible cutting mem-ber stretchable with anoperative portion thereof between said gripping means, storage meansassociated with said frame member at one end thereof for housing acontinuous length of said elongated cutting member corresponding toseveral lengths of said operative portion, tensioning means for saidcutting member associated with said gripping means of the frame-legremote from said storage means, and means associated with said storagemeans for enabling manual withdrawal of successive portions of saidcutting member to be engaged by said gripping rneans and to be tensionedbetween said framedlegs by said tensioning means.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth orbecome apparent from the following description of a preferred embodimentthereof, to which the invention -is by no means restricted, referencebeing hadV to theaccompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a side-elevational view of a hacksaw incorporating the-improvements of the present invention.

Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale relative to that of Fig. 1, is aside-elevational View, partly in section, of one end portion ofthehacksaw. v

Fig. 3 illustrates a plan view corresponding to Fig. 2.

Fig. 4, on an enlarged `scale relative to those of Figs. l and 2, is across-section taken along the line 4-4 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5, on a further enlarged sca'l-e, is a lateral elevational view ofa component device of the hacksaw, and

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of this component device.

Referring to the drawing, the hacksaw illustrated therein comprises asubstantially U-shaped frame including a pair of legs 2, '3 and anintervening portion 1. Associated with this frame at one end thereof isa storage magazine to be described further below and serving for housinga coiled :continuous flexible sawblade 4 adapted to be withdrawnsuccessively, as required, through a feed opening 5 provided in the wallof t-he magazinecase.

The sawblade magazine according to the invention is in the form of anannular case 6 provided with a correspondingly shaped cover 7. The case6 and cover 7 are each detachably connected, as by screws, to anindividual bracket plate, 8 and 9, respectively, these plates being inturn detachably connected, as by bolts and nuts, to either sides of oneleg 3 of the hacksaw frame. Thus the case and cover are maintained intheir relatively Iclosed Iposition in part by said bracket plates f8 and9. In addition, the case and cover are kept together by twocorresponding handle-forming members or lbraces 10, 1-1 secured togetherby screws or the like, one, 10, of these members lengaging the case 6and the other member, 11, engaging the cover 7, the members 10, 11forming together the operating handle for the hacksaw.

Received within the magazine `6, 7 is an annular disc or trough 12 whichis rotatably mounted in the ymagazine and engages the toothing of thecontinuous strip-like sawblade 4 coiled within the magazine so as to berotated by the'action' of the coiled-in portion of said sawblade 4 asthis portion is rotated upon insertion or withdrawal of the sawblade.

.The feed opening 5 of the magazine A6, 7 is formed by -complementarycutouts made in the ,arcuate peripheral outer walls of the case 6 andthe cover 7, this opening being so disposed as to be in alignment, orsubstantially so, with the sawblade gripping and tensioning meansdesignated by reference numerals 13 to 22, inclusive, as will bedescribed more in detail further lbelow.

The sawblade gripping and tensioning means, as will be understood, may'be devised in any one of several possible ways. In the embodimentillustrated in the drawing this means comprise two gripping devices,denominated 13, 115, 17, 18, 19 and 1L4, .16, 17, 18, l19, respectively,which are presently to be described, land which are associated withindividual ones of lthe two yframe-legs 2 and 3. One of these grippingdevices, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, is mounted on a tension screw 22 rotatablymounted in lix'ed relation to the frame-leg 2 which is remote from themagaz-ine 6, 7. This tensioning device is adapted to enable the grippingdevice associated therewith to be actuated in the longitudinal directionof the frame 1, 2, 3. The other gripping device 14, 1'6, 17, 18, '19 isrigidly connected to the extreme end `of the other frame-leg 3.

Each gripping device comprises an annular sleeve 13 or 14, respectively,in which is received a cylindrical body 15 or 16, respectively, which isrotatable within the sleeve. Each body 15 or 16, respectively, has cutin it a bottomed slot 17 extending substantially in an axial planetherethrough, these `slots 17 serving for the reception of a portion ofthe Continous sawblade which has been withdrawn from the magazine 6, 7.Each sleeve 13 or 14, respecadapted, when completely screwed into saidbody, to project into the slot 17 therein and, when tightened againstthe slot-engaging sawblade-portion, to clamp the latter in the slot 17and simultaneously therewith to expand the body '1orl 16, respectively,into'firm engagement with the inner surface of the sleeve` 13 or 14,respectively, so as to prevent rotation of the body relative thereto.Since, in addition, the set screw 19of each gripping device projectsinto the body 15 or 16, respectively, through a peripheral slot 18 inthe sleeve 13 or 14, respectively, the bodies 1S,- 16, also by means oftheir respective set screws 19, may be clamped in their respectivesleeves in various langular positions, as desired.

Thetension screw 22 for actuatingone of the gripping devices isjournalled in the legs 2G, 21 of a U-shaped bracket secured to theextreme end of the frame-leg 2 and-extending in the longitudinaldirection of the frame 1, 2, 3; The` screw 22, in addition, isscrew-threadedly engaged in a nut formed by an extension 23 of thesleeve 13 forming part of this gripping device, said extensionprojecting into the gap between the bracket legs 2G, 21, whereby saidgripping device is movable in a direction to cause tensioning of theoperative sawblade portion stretched between the two gripping devices ofthe hacksaw frame.

When a continuous hacksaw blade 4, coiled within the magazine 6, 7, isto be connected to the gripping and tensioning devices 13 to 22, this ispreferably performed in the following manner: The sawblade 4 isWithdrawn in part from the magazine 6, 7. The blade-portion withdrawn,concurrently therewith, is introduced into the slot 17of the body 16situated next to the magazine and is then-extended to the grippingdevice situated remotely from the magazine. Then the blade-portionengaging the said slot 17 is clamped in said body 16 by tightening thecorresponding set screw 19 therein. The extended end of theblade-portion is then engaged into the slot 17 of the. body 15 remotefrom the magazine 6, 7 and is clamped therein by tightening the setscrew 19 in this body; After this being done, the blade-portion thusstretched has to be set at the desired angle of inclination relative tothe frame-legs, and this operation is accomplished by first slightlyloosening the set screw 19 of, for

instance, the gripping device situated next to the magazine, so as toenable the body 16 of the sleeve 14 thereof to. be rotated into thedesired angular position, after which the said screw 19 is retightened.Then, in the corresponding manner, the body 15 of the other sleeve 13 isrotated into the last-mentioned angular position andis reelamped to thissleeve by retightening the set screw 19 associated therewith. Then thetension screw 22 serving for actuating one of the gripping devices isrotated inA a sense to cause the last-mentioned gripping device to moveaway from the other gripping device whereby the operativeblade-portionis tensioned.

In. order to facilitate the handling of the hacksaw durinA the operationof mounting and tensioning the sawblade in the frame 1, 2, 3, the headsof the screws 19 and 22 are formed with hexagonal recesses adapted toreceive a rod-like hexagon Spanner 24. It will then be possible, by theaid of such spanner 24, simultaneously to rotate the screw 19 projectinginto the sleeve 13 or 14, respectively, and move the body 15 or 16,respectively, received in such sleeve into the desired angular position.Incidentally, the hacksaw frame assembly may have any suitable provisionfor housing the Spanner 24 when not in use, such housing means beingsuitably provided in association with the bracket plates 8, 9 and theframe-leg 3 mounting these plates, as illustrated in Figs. l through 3of the drawing.

It will be seen that the objects of the invention as stated in thepreamble of this specification are satisfied completely through thehacksaw arrangement described. Itisto be' understood, however, that theinvention is by no means restricted to the preferred embodimentdescribed in the foregoing and as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, since various changes and modifications are possible withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention as defined in and by theappended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A hacksaw comprising in combination: an invertedly U-shaped framemember, tool-gripping means provided on the extremities of the legs ofsaid frame member, an elongated flexible cutting member stretchable withan operative portion thereof between said gripping means, .storagemer-.zes connected to said frame member at one end thereof for housing acontinuous length of said elongated cutting member corresponding toseveral lengths of said operative portion, tensioning means for saidcutting member engaging said gripping means of the framelcg remote fromsaid storage means, and said storage means having an opening in a wallfor enabling manual withdrawal of successive portions of said cuttingmember to be engaged by said gripping means and to be tensioned betweensaid frame-legs by said tensioning means.

2. A hacksaw comprising in combination: a hacksaw frame havingsawblade-gripping and tensioning means, a continuous hacksaw bladehaving an operative portion thereof stretchable and tensionable betweensaid gripping and tensioning means, a magazine connected to said frameat one end thereof for housing said continuous sawblade in a spirallycoiled condition, said magazine being in the form of a ring-like caseclosed by a corresponding cover, said case and said cover. beingdetachably connected to respective bracket plates, these bracket platesbeing detachably connected to either lateral surfaces of the frame-legat said one end of the frame, and said magazine having an opening in awall for enabling manual withdrawal of successive portions of saidsawblade to be engaged by said gripping means and to be tensioned bysaid tensioning means.

3. A hacksaw according to claim 2 characterized in that said magazinehas rotatably disposed therein an annular disc-member engaged by thetoothing of the portion of said sawblade coiled in said magazine so asto be rotated by said sawblade portion as the latter is rotated forinsertion or withdrawal thereof.

4. A hacksaw according to claim 2 characterized in that said opening isformed by complementary cutouts made in arcuate peripheral walls of saidcase and said cover, said opening being so disposed as to besubstantially in alignment with said tool-gripping and tensioning means.

5. A hacksaw according to claim 1 characterized in that said grippingmeans comprise two gripping devices cooperating with individual ones ofthe two legs of said frame member, each said gripping device comprisinga sleeve rotatably housing in it a cylindrical body having an axiallyextendingy slot therein for the reception of an operative portion ofsaid continuous cutting member when withdrawn from said storage means,and a set screw for clamping said cutting member projecting into saidsleeve and screw-threadedly engaging said body to be tightened againstsaid cutting member and conjointly therewith to expand said body intofirm engagement with said sleeve so as to be immobilized relativethereto.

6. A hacksaw according to claim 5, and further characterized in thateach said sleeve has a peripheral slot through which said set screw ispassedinto said sleeve, whereby to enable said bodies to be angularlydisplaced in their respective sleeves for the purpose of adjusting theoperative cutting-member portion withdrawn from said storage means into'a desired angle of inclination relative to the legs of said framemember.

7. A hacksaw according to4 claim l characterized in that said grippingmeans comprise two gripping devices for uripping and clamping anoperative portion of said continuous cutting'm'ember when withdrawn fromsaid storage means, onev of said gripping devices being operablyconnected with said tensioning means; the latter comprising a tensionscrew adapted for moving said lastmentioned gripping devicelongitudinally relative to said frame member, said tension screw beingmounted in the extreme end of the frame-leg remote from said storagemeans, the other gripping device being rigidly connected to the extremeend of the frame-leg situated next to said storage means.

8. A hacksaw according to claim 7 and further characterized in that saidtension screw for actuating said one of said gripping devices isjournaled in a bracket member mounted on the eXtreme end of saidframe-leg so as to extend longitudinally of said frame member, saidtension screw being threadedly engaged in a nut formed by an extensionof the sleeve associated with said gripping device and projecting intothe gap between rcausing tensioning of a cutting-member portionstretched between said two gripping devices.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS903,495 Parsons Nov. 10, 1908 2,286,530 Fordan June 16, 1942 2,718,909Heinrich Sept. 27, 1955 2,731,988 Steiner Jan. 24, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS228,425 Great Britain Feb. 5, 1925

